Cover for carrying a pair of upright rectangular cartons as a unit



y 1956 s PLATT 2,753,993

COVER FOR CARRYING A PAIR OF UPRIGHT RECTANGULAR CARTONS AS A UNIT FiledMarch 27, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. jxwua PM July 10, 1956 PLATT2,753,993

COVER FOR CARRYING A PAIR OF UPRIGHT RECTANGULAR CARTONS AS A UNIT FiledMarch 27, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 K I v-"Z0 .57 4' l i i g P 1 i F 6 7 iif i I g 5 INVENTOR.

0 1 w n/ M 147 T ORA E K5 United COVER FOR (IARRYENG A PAR F UPRIGHTRECTANGULAR CARTGNS AS A UNIT Application March 27, 1953, Serial No.345,18%

7 Claims. (Cl. 20665) This invention relates to a cover for a pair ofrectangular cartons, such as milk cartons, and has for one of itsobjects the provision of such cover that is also adapted to secure apair of such cartons together and which cover is further adapted to begrasped for carrying the cartons of such pair.

Heretofore most attempts to secure a pair of rectangular cartonstogether have involved the use of a handle of some kind and some meansprojecting between the cartons of the pair and this same type ofstructure has been used when a cover is used for covering the upper endsof the cartons of each pair.

One of the most serious dilficulties in using structure of the abovecharacter is that of applying carton cover and handle to the pairs ofcartons with suificient speed and certainty to be economically practicalas well as commercially acceptable. Since the user has been accustomedto picking up a single carton by the upper end, he or she will continuethis practice where a pair of cartons are secured together, hence thecover that is to be placed over the top of such pair must be securelyconnected with the pair of cartons so that neither of the cartons willbe accidentally released.

Inasmuch as conventional rectangular milk cartons are formed at onecorner in these top walls with a pouring opening that in turn has aclosure that is crimped over the adjacent laterally projecting flangesthat are at the top of such carton at said corner, it will be seen thatany cover to be secured over the upper ends of a pair of cartons mustnot interfere with these closures nor tend to loosen them in eitherapplying the cover or in carrying the cartons by the cover or inremoving the cover.

It is one of the objects of this invention to provide a cover for a pairof cartons that securely holds such pair together and that is easilyapplied, and that does not interfere with the closures on the cartons ofsaid pair when the cover is applied or removed or when the cartons arecarried by the cover.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a cover fora pair of cartons that is collapsible to compact relatively ilatcondition for shipment and for storage, and that is easily and quicklyset up :for use, and which cover is adapted to be easily applied to apair of cartons by a relatively simple mechanical operation thusadapting it for application by automatic machinery.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the description and in thedrawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank from which the cover is formed.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the cover partially folded.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the cover after it has been formed andthen folded to flat collapsed position for shipment or for storage.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a cover above the upper ends of a pairof conventional milk cartons preparatory to being lowered onto saidupper ends, the said cover being partially broken away and the upperends only of the cartons being shown.

Figure 5 is an enlarged side elevation view of the cover on a pair ofcar-tons, the upper ends only of the latter being shown.

Figure 6 is a semi-diagrammatic view showing the upper ends of a pair ofcartons in plan view and the locking means on the cover shown adjacentto each side to show their structural relationship to the pouringopening closure on each carton, such closure being indicated by verticalshade lines at one of the corners of each carton.

Figures 7 and 8 illustrate different possible arrangements of thecartons insofar as their respective closures are concerned, and in whichthe cover of Figure 4 is suitable for use without modification.

In detail, the blank (Figure 1) from which the cover is formed comprisesa single sheet of material, such as cardboard, that is scored or creasedalong pairs of perpendicularly extending lines 1, 2 which foldingcreases define a rectangular central portion 3 of the blank, the

creases 1 defining the sides and creases 2 the ends of;

said portion 3.

Outwardly of and along folding creases 1 are strips that define sidewalls 4, 5 of the finished cover, -while the strips 6, 7 along andoutwardly of creases 2 define the end walls. Corner pieces 8 are atopposite ends of the side wall 4 and in longitudinal extension of saidside wall, while similar corner pieces 9 are in longitudinal extensionof side wall 5. The folding creases 2 define the junctures betweencorner pieces 8,19 and the side Walls 4, '5 respectively, and saidcorner pieces are disconnected from the end walls 6, 7 by cuts 10 thatare in extension of the creases '1.

Extending across the side walls 4, 5 at forty-five degree angles fromthe points where creases 1 and 2 meet at the corners of portion 3 arerows of aligned slits '12 defining lines of weakness to facilitatefolding along said lines.

The side wall 4 includes an elongated member 14 and side wall 5 includesan elongated member 13, which members extend longitudinally of the saidside walls about centrally of their widths and between the pair offolding lines 12 in each side wall. The members 13, '14 have the samestructure and contour except that they are reversed end for end, afterbeing defined along one longitudinally extending edge by spaced slits 15that define lines of weakness to facilitate folding.

For purpose of convenience, the lines of weakness defined by slits 12,15 will be called folding creases, it being understood that they arepreferably cut through by slits 12, 15 rather than being true creases,although the sections between the slits are creased to insure accuracyof folding.

The folding creases 15 are parallel with creases 1 and are adjacent tobut spaced from the latter. The remaining edges of each of the members13, 14 are free from the side walls '4, 5 so that each member may befolded to one side of the side wall along its folding crease 15, as willlater be described.

The end edges 16 of members 13, 14 extend divergently outwardly from theends of folding creases 1'5 until they substantially reach the foldingcreases 12, and the edge of each member opposite and extendinglongitudinally of the crease 15 is in several parallel sections 17, 18,19 in which section 18 is between aligned sections 17, 19 and is offsetslightly toward the crease 15. Ihus the edge of each member 13, 14 isrecessed along its edge that is opposite crease 15 along the section 18that defines the bottom of such recess.

Section 17 of the edge of member 13 and of member '14-are of the samelength and are substantially shorter 3 than the section 19 of each edge,said section 17 of member 13 is nearest the end of the blank that. hasend wall 6 while section 17 of member 14 is nearest the end of the blankthat has wall 7.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the edges 17 and 19virtually define the edges of projecting portions of members 13, 14 thatare separated ineach member by a recess, and the lengths of theprojections along edge sections 19 are longer than the lengths of theprojections along edge sections 17.

End walls 6, 7 are respectively formed with members 20, 21, the member20 being in end wall 6 and member 21 being in end wall 7. Each of thesemembers is horizontally elongated and connected with the end wallcarryingthe same along its upper horizontal edge by a folding crease 23that may include slits 24 to facilitate bending said members along saidcrease.

The opposite end edges 25 of said members extend divergently from theends of each crease 23, and are free from each end wall as are theremaining edges of the members.

The edges of member 20, 21 opposite creases 23, respectively, extendlongitudinally of each crease 23 and are inseveral sections 26, 27 withsection 26 closer to the crease 23 than section 27. This results in aprojection 28 on each member that projects slightly further from crease23 than the rest of the member.

Each of the edges 18, 26 is spaced the same distance from the foldingcreases 1, 2 respectively and each of the edges 17, 19 and 27 is alsospaced the same distance from creases 1, 2 respectively.

As already explained, corner pieces 8, 9 are at the corners of theblank, the pieces 8 being at the ends of wall 5, and pieces 9 being atthe ends of wall 4.

The corner pieces 8 are slotted at 2.9 from their free edges that areopposite the ends of creases 2 and the inner ends 30 of said slotsextend slantingly at the same angle relative to creases 2 and the cornerpieces 9 are similarly slotted as indicated at 31 with their closed ends32 also inclined.

In setting up the cover, the walls 4, may first be bent to one and thesame side, perpendicular to the central portion 3, and then the cornerpieces 8, 9 at the ends of the walls 4, 5 are bent toward each other tomeeting relation along their outer vertical free edges. The open ends ofslots 29, 31 at each end of the cover will then come together so that aclosed slot is formed at each end of the cover.

The next step is to swing the end walls 6, 7 to the same side of thecentral portion as the walls 4, 5 and when so done, the said walls 6, 7are stapled to the corner pieces by staples 33 (Figures 2, 3).

The members 20, 21 will lie outside but within the projected outline ofeach closed slot formed by bringing the open ended slots 29, 30together, and then the members 20, 21 can be swung through said slots toupwardly inclined position as seen in Figure 4.

After the cover is folded so that both end walls 6, 7 are stapled to thecorner pieces respectively adjacent thereto, the cover may further beflattened as seen in Figure 3, by folding the end and side walls alongfolding creases 12 to positions overlying the central portion. In thiscompact form the set-up covers may be shipped. It is to be understoodthat the folding creases 12 are not necessary if the covers are formedsubstantially at the time they are used, or if the covers are partiallynested. However, the structure adapts itself to use of the foldingcreases if and when desired.

After a cover is set up, the operation of placing it on a pair ofcartons is quick and simple and is readily done by mechanical means.

In Figure 4 the upper ends of a pair of cartons 35 are shown. Eachcarton has a laterally projecting flange 36 around its upper end, whichflange is formed by crimp-v ing the top along the edges thereof and indoing this the side walls are forced inwardly along said edges so thatthe outer edges of said flanges and the outer sides of the carton sidewalls are coplanar at each side of each carton. This enables a pair ofcartons to be placed in side by side relationship with the adjacentsides in engaging relationship.

The usual structure in the rectangular milk cartons includes a pouringopening formed in one corner of the top of the carton and this iscovered by a cap 37 that extends over the adjacent flanges at suchcorner.

The cartons are carried along a conveyor below a filling machine. Thearrangement of pouring openings shown in Figure 4 and in Figure 6 is ausual one, although the arrangements shown in Figures 7 and 8 are allpossible with the present structure of the cover. The shaded portions inFigures 7, 8, 9 represent the closures 37 in diagrammatic form.

These arrangements of the closures for the filling and pouring openingsin the cartons are mentioned because the structure on which the caps orclosures 37 extend over the adjacent flanges has heretofore precludedthe safe use of locking means on a cover for locking the cover onto apair of cartons. Any upward thrust on the portions of each closure 37that is crimped over the adjacent flanges will result in loosening theclosure.

The operation of placing a cover over a pair of cartons 35 is asfollows:

The set up covers may be held by any suitable means over the conveyorthat carries the filled and sealed cartons along a path of travel.Suitable fingers at the sides and ends of each cover that is in positionto descend onto a pair of cartons will force the members 13, 14, 20, 21inwardly and as the cover descends over the pair of cartons thesemembers will be caused to swing upwardly against the Walls from whichthey have been partially cut and will slide past the flanges 36 that areadjacent thereto. As soon as said members clear the flanges they willsnap under the flanges as seen in Figure 5 and the cartons of the pairare so securely locked to gether that they can be lifted by the cover,handled, packed, and shipped without becoming loosened. When thehousewife or user wishes to use the milk from one of the cartons of thepair, it is only necessary for her to hold the bottom portion of onecarton of the pair in each hand and to swing said bottom portionsoppositely to opposite sides of the plane in which the pair is disposed.The cover will then be hoisted slightly but sulficiently to free thecartons, since one or the other of the corner pieces will break loose.

The important feature in the structure, is the fact that the projectingportions 28 of members 20, 21 and 17, 19 of members 13, 14 are offset sothat they engage under the flanges of the cartons when the centralportion 3 is substantially against the upper sides of the carton tops,and the cut away portions along edges 26 and 18 extend below theextensions of closures 37. Thus there is no pressure against theclosures. Instead, any detrimental strain or force resulting from thelocking of the cover onto the cartons is transmitted to the flanges ofthe cartons and not to the closures for their pouring openings, and bycutting away members 13, 14, 20, and 21 to provide a relieved portionalong their longitudinally extending free edges enables the said membersto snap into locking relation to the cartons just as soon as the coveris seated on a pair of cartons. While edges 18, 26 may contact theextensions on the closures 37 they will not loosen the closures.

Thus they may contribute to the rigidity of the cover on the pair ofcartons, and the fact that the members 20, 21, 13, 14 are suflicientlyelongated to extend across the central portion of each flange adjacentthereto and across the junctures between the pair of cartons materiallyadds to the rigidity of the cover and pair of cartons when the cover isin position on the cartons.

The elongated slot left by the inward swinging of members 13, 14provides convenient finger holds for the fingers of a hand that spansthe top of the cover, and enables a pair of cartons to be easily liftedby the cover. The walls 4, tend to bow outwardly along the rows of slits15 when the cover is in position on a pair of cartons, thus providing asecure hold for the fingers of a hand.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the structure disclosedreadily lends itself to automatic capping machines for capping cartonsand the provision of a cover for a pair of rectangular cartons preventsdirt and germs from contacting the top and the portions of the cartonsaround the pouring openings. The protection of carton tops againstcontamination from the hands and other sources is very important. By thepresent means, the delivery man and others can carry a pair of cartonsby the cover without contacting the cartons and protection fromcontamination continues as long as the cover stays on the cartons.

It is obvious, of course, that the provision of members such as 20, 21on each of the four sides of a square cover would provide a cover for asingle carton.

I claim:

1. In combination with a pair of corresponding vertically disposedrectangular cartons disposed side by side with one of their flat sidestogether and each formed with a laterally outwardly directed flangealong each side at the upper end thereof and each also being formed witha pouring spout in one upper corner provided with a closure thereforhaving portions extending over adjacent flanges at said corner, ahorizontal oblong sheet having depending walls integral therewith alongits edges providing two opposed end walls and two opposed side walls,said sheet being positioned over the upper ends of said cartons, saidside walls extending downwardly over the pair of flanges along theexposed corresponding oppositely outwardly facing sides of said pair andsaid end walls extending downwardly over the flanges along the remainingexposed sides of said pair, horizontally elongated members respectivelystamped from said side walls along their lower and end edges and bentinwardly along their upper edges to generally lapping relation to theparts of said side walls adjoining said upper edges with their freeedges disposed below the said pair of flanges along said correspondingsides, a part of each of said portions of said closures being along saidpair of flanges and each of said members being partially relieved alongits free edge to receive each such part of said portions.

2. In combination with a pair of corresponding vertically disposedrectangular cartons disposed side by side with one of their flat sidestogether and each formed with a laterally outwardly directed flangealong each side at the upper end thereof and each also being formed witha pouring spout in one upper corner provided with a closure thereforhaving portions extending over adjacent flanges at said corner, ahorizontal oblong sheet having dependir: walls integral therewith alongits edges pro viding two opposed end walls and two opposed side walls,said sheet being positioned over the upper ends of said cartons, saidside walls extending downwardly over the pair of flanges along theexposed corresponding oppositely outwardly facing sides of said pair andsaid end walls extending downwardly over the flanges along the remainingexposed sides of said pair, horizontally elongated members respectivelystamped from said side walls along their lower and end edges and bentinwardly along their upper edges to generally lapping relation to theparts of said side walls adjoining said upper edges with their freeedges disposed below the said pair of flanges along said correspondingsides, a part or" each of said portions of said closures being alongsaid pair of flanges and each of said members being partially relievedalong its free edge to receive each such part of said portions, ahorizontally elongated member partially stamped from said end walls andbent inwardly to positions extending below the flanges along saidremaining exposed sides of said pair.

3. In combination, a pair of rectangular cartons with their upper endssquare, horizontal, and coplanar and in horizontal alignment next toeach other, a laterally outwardly directed flange along the upper end ofeach carton, a pouring opening formed in each upper end at one cornerthereof, a closure extending over each opening and over each of the twoadjacent flanges at each corner, a cover over said upper ends, dependingwalls on said cover extending downwardly past said flanges, membersintegral with said walls bent inwardly and upwardly to positions belowthe exposed outer flanges of said pair for engagement with the lowersides of said flanges, openings formed in the two of the opposed wallsdepending from said cover over the aligned flanges on the correspondingsides of said pair of cartons from which two of said members have beenbent providing finger openings to enable the fingers of a hand to engagethe upper edges of said openings for lifting said pair of cartons, eachof said members being relieved along the edge that is engaged with thelower sides of said flanges at points where said closures extend oversaid flanges.

4. A combination cover, holder and carrier for a pair of rectangularmilk cartons of the type having a pouring opening and closure thereforat a corner of the top wall of each carton comprising; a horizontallydisposed oblong sheet having depending connected, horizontally elongatedwalls along the edges thereof providing a pair of opposed end walls anda pair of opposed walls, each of said side walls being substantiallydouble the length of each end wall, a horizontally elongated memberpartially stamped from each of said walls and bendable along onehorizontal longitudinally extending edge of each member inwardly intothe space between each pair of opposed Walls and upwardly toward saidsheet, each of said members extending horizontally across and asubstantial distance to opposite sides of a point midway between theends of each wall, a portion of each member at one side of each of saidpoints projecting therefrom in direction away from said onelongitudinally extending edge a greater distance than the part of eachmember at the other side of each of said points and immediately adjacentthe latter for engaging the outer sides of such pair of cartons at theirupper ends when said oblong sheet extends over said pair with said wallslapping the sides of said cartons at their upper ends.

5. A combination cover, holder and carrier for a pair of rectangularmilk cartons of the type having a pouring opening and closure thereforat a corner of the top wall of each carton, comprising; a horizontallydisposed sheet of oblong outline, a pair of horizontally elongatedopposed side walls integral with and depending from the longest edges ofsaid sheet and a pair of horizontally elongated opposed end wallsintegral with and depending from the remaining two edges of said sheet,extensions on the ends of said side walls secured against the opposedlyfacing sides of said end walls in lapping relation to the latter, ahorizontally elongated member partially stamped from each of said endwalls bendable along one horizontal longitudinally extending edge ofeach member inwardly into the space between said end walls and upwardlytoward said sheet, openings formed in said extensions through which saidmembers are so bendable and portions of said extensions extending aboveand below each of said members.

6. A combination cover, holder and carrier for a pair of rectangularmilk cartons of the type having a pouring opening and closure thereforat a corner of the top wall of each carton, comprising; a horizontallydisposed oblong sheet, a pair of opposed horizontally elongated sidewalls extending along and integral with the unjust edges of said sheetand depending therefrom and a pair of opposed horizontally elongated endwalls depending from and extending the full length of the remaining twoedges said sheet and integral therewith, means connecting said. nd.walls and said side walls at the corners of said sheet for securing saidwalls together in depending position, a horizontally elongated memberpartially stamped from each of said side walls and bendable along onehorizontal longitudinally extending edge of each member inwardly intothe space between said pair of opposed side walls and upwardly towardsaid sheet, each of said members extending horizontally across and asubstantial distance to opposite sides of a point intermediate the endsof each of said side walls, spaced portions respectively at oppositeends of said members projecting therefrom in direction away from saidone longitudinally extending edge a greater distance than the partbetween said portions for engaging the outer sides of each pair ofcartons at their upper ends when said oblong sheet extends over saidpair with said walls lapping opposite sides of said pair of cartons attheir upper ends.

7. A combination cover, holder and carrier for a pair of rectangularmilk cartons of the type having a pouring opening and a closure thereforat a corner of the top wall of each carton, comprising; a horizontallydisposed oblong sheet, a pair of opposed horizontaliy elongated sidewalls and a pair of horizontally elongated opposed end walls integralwith said sheet and depending therefrom, means connecting said walls atthe corners of said sheet, a horizontally elongated member partiallystamped from each of said end walls and bendable alongone horizontallongitudinally extending edge of; each member inwardly into the spacebetween said pair of opposed end walls and upwardly toward said sheet,each of said members extending horizontally across and a substantialdistance to opposite sides of a point intermediate the ends of each ofsaid end walls and a portion of one member at one side of a planehisecting said end walls transversely thereof through such pointsprojecting a greater distance from said one horizontally extending edgethereof than the remainder of said one member and a portion of the othermember at the other side of said plane projecting a greater distancefrom said one horizontally extending edge thereof than the remainder ofsaid other member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,182,818 Murch Dec. 12, 1939 2,276,128 Wellman g Mar. 10, 19422,310,408 Ehrenfeld Feb. 9, 1943 2,346,685 Hothersall Apr. 14, 19442,376,855 Hanley May 29, 1945 2,551,814 Rushing et al May 8, 1951FOREIGN PATENTS 932,447 France Nov. 24, 1947

